The Language of Papal Gift-Giving in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries: An Example of Soft Power?

In the seventeenth century, the practice of handing diplomatic gifts was on the rise among European sovereigns. A certain number of treatises intended for ambassadors specifically refer to this practice. These gifts, brought by the nuncios, his ambassadors, were selected, not only by the pope, but also by great figures in the papal court, like cardinals’ nephews or relatives. They were able to recognize which works would be the most appreciated by the Stuart King, the emperor or the kings of France or Spain. The letters sent by the nuncios or the newspapers which tackle events that had occurred in foreign courts constitute precious sources to identify and review such presents. Moreover, papal gifts were dual. The Supreme Pontiff was a religious sovereign and, as such, he offered reliquaries, blessed swaddling clothes and Golden Roses which were holy objects able to sustain Catholicism and maintain the faith. If these types of offerings were conventional, the pope also sent secular objects such as paintings, which represented profane themes, antique statues and small galanteries such as fans, gloves and perfumes, which is more surprising. As a matter of fact, the pope played a political role as a peacemaker between the other great European powers and defenders of the territories over which he had full jurisdiction: the Supreme Pontiff exercised both spiritual and temporal power. This dual nature can be seen in the different objects given. How did presents become instruments of power which served the pope’s interests? How did gift-giving rituals help him persuade the other sovereigns to follow his will and to maintain him as the greatest sovereign in Western Europe?